Chicago, IL, has become the largest U.S. city to commit to 100% renewable electricity.

Chicago is Ready for its 100 Percent Clean Energy Plan

Members of the Chicago City Council have unanimously approved a resolution on energy policy to put the city on the path toward running on 100% renewable energy by 2040.

On April 10, the resolution R2019-157, or Support for Implementation of Clean Energy Transition Plan, was passed into law and signed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The Windy City is turning away from fossil fuels with this plan that gets underway in December 2020.

By 2035, all of Chicago’s buildings will be powered by clean and renewable electricity, which would be quite a feat for the country’s third-largest city that’s home to 2.7 million people. Before that, by 2025, all the 900-plus public buildings will go green.

The plan sets 2040 as the due date for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to have all-electric bus fleet.

“The City of Chicago will work with community-based organizations and leaders to develop the transition plan through an inclusive stakeholder engagement process, with a particular focus on the needs of low-to-moderate income residents and communities that have been most impacted by environmental injustices,”

Currently, homes and businesses in the City of Chicago get power from Midwest plants, which rely on a mix of mostly coal (44%), nuclear energy (40%), and natural gas (12%), with renewable sources accounting for only 4%.

The action and efforts at grassroot levels, like those deployed by the Sierra Club organization, along with political will are transforming Chicago’s power grid to become clean, affordable, reliable, and equitable.